Powering Citizen Voices
Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate Earth Month with us! We had a blast getting to talk and spend time with you at Camp Casey, our Seed Bomb event, the SSCoFi happy hour, rePurpose Day, and the film screening of Earth’s Greatest Enemy.
We hope to see you again soon at an event in May! Keep reading to learn more about upcoming events:
May 7th: Whidbey Climate Action’s Island Conversation with Clyde Shavers
St. Hubert’s Community Room - 804 3rd Street, Langley
Snacks & Social 5:45 PM
Program 6 PM - 8 PM
Corporate and dark money keep corruption in power! Join Whidbey Climate Actionon May 7th to meet with Representative Clyde Shavers and discuss a new bill inspired by the Transparent Elections Initiative (aka The Montana Plan) that he and his team are putting together. This bill is a breakthrough legal strategy to beat Citizens United and take back our politics. Thirty-four other states are already considering this plan, and a Washington State bill could be next! This could be the most important legislation coming this next session, giving power to citizens' voices once again—a game changer for politics and elections if it passes.
Rep. Shavers is very interested in hearing our points of view on this issue, getting informed, and helping ignite the change we have been working towards!
Island Conversations with Whidbey Climate Action are supported by Whidbey Institute, rePurpose Whidbey, Whidbey Environmental Action Network, Goosefoot, Organic Farm School, and South Whidbey Tilth.
CARPOOL OPTION!If you pass the Bayview Park & Ride (at Bayview Rd and Hwy 525) at 5:35-5:40 PM on your way to Langley, please check to see if anyone is heading our way in order to carpool. Every car that stays at Bayview will avoid 8 miles of driving!
May 17th: Kicking Gas Info Session
Zoom/Online
1 PM - 2:30 PM
We’re holding a virtual Info Session to get you started on your Kicking Gas journey! Attending an Info Session is required for all Kicking Gas clients.
During our Info Sessions, we’ll answer all of your questions and share information on how you can be part of the movement to transition away from fossil fuels towards healthier, cleaner, electric household appliances. If you’ve already participated in Kicking Gas, May is a great time to invite your friends and neighbors to participate before the summer heat kicks in.
Register for our May 17th Info Session HERE.
WSDOT is Offering E-bike Rebates!
The new WSDOT WE-Bike Rebate program makes biking more accessible and helps reduce carbon emissions, which is good for both you and the environment. This program offers Washingtonians a rebate to help lower the cost of buying an eligible e-bike.
People age 16 and older can apply, with rebates of $300 or $1,200 depending on household income. Random applicant selections occur every second Monday of each month until next year on March 29th, 2027. Selected applicants will be asked to provide documents to confirm eligibility. You only need to apply once to be entered into all future selections until you are either selected or the round of funding ends.
Submit your application today to get your process rolling!
If You Haven’t Filed Your Taxes Yet…
Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credits and Deductions
If you made qualified energy-efficient improvements to your home after January 1st, 2023, you may qualify for a tax credit up to $3,200! You can claim the credits for improvements made through December 31st, 2025. Past participants in Kicking Gas may qualify!
Read more HERE.
Washington State Green Bank Capitalized with $25 Million
Governor Bob Ferguson recently signed a supplemental capital budget bill, capitalizing the Washington State Green Bank (soon to rebrand as Washington Builds) with an initial $25M! $5.8M will support residential projects including solar, HVAC upgrades, EV chargers, and efficiency improvements, with a priority for supporting low-to-moderate income households. Another $17.4M will support commercial projects, providing small businesses and Tribes with low-cost, affordable financing for clean energy updates to lower long-term operating costs.
Read more HERE!
The State Legislature’s New Budget is Tapping $546M of the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) Funds to Plug Budget Holes
Despite opposition and concerns about diverting climate-related funds, last month the Washington State Legislature approved a final budget that uses $546 million in CCA funding to fill budget gaps. As detailed in a press release by Washington Conservation Action, “Diverting climate funds will devastate investments in climate pollution reduction and community protection. Since CCA funds are projected to decline as emissions decline, the state won’t be able to ‘catch up’ later unless diverted funds are replaced.”
The Legislature’s new budget assumes paying back CCA funding in the 2027-29 budget, so our environmental community needs to work hard to ensure that the promise of restored climate funds becomes a reality. We must ensure that state leaders follow through on their word!
To end our newsletter on a win though, the Legislature did have some important victories with the passage of legislation, including:
SB 6355: Creating a WA electric transmission authority to advance responsible development of the power lines we need to carry clean electricity over long distances. Washington is lagging severely behind almost all other states in renewable energy adoption, due to the Bonneville Power Administration not approving permits and also not investing in the necessary infrastructure. We hope that bills like SB 6355 and others will help to address these issues and move Washington towards more efficient energy infrastructure;
HB 2367: Ending tax and climate law exemptions for Washington State’s last coal power plant (TransAlta) which was recently retired. This is another legal line of defense against the president’s executive order issued in December 2025 to keep the coal power plant running. Had this order gone into effect, it would have undermined planning and a 2012 agreement with TransAlta to ease the transition away from coal, including a Just Transition for workers;
SB 6246: Supporting industrial decarbonization under the CCA;
HB 2496: Protecting confidentiality for consultation discussions with Tribal Nations on energy projects!
Our work to support our planet’s health continues through our Kicking Gas efforts to decarbonize our local communities!
Thanks for being part of this collective movement to protect our irreplaceable home.